Biden, Xi discuss human rights, trade
February 11, 2021
US President Joe Biden spoke to his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday, in his first direct contact with President Xi Jinping since winning the elections in November 2020.
The two leaders spoke a short while after Biden had announced the creation of a special task force for the US policy on China.
Biden spoke about trade, but he also raised concerns about China's crackdown on Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, as well as other human rights concerns, according to a White House statement.
"I told him I will work with China when it benefits the American people," Biden tweeted.
China warns against confrontation
Xi warned Biden that a confrontation between the two countries would be a disaster and that the nations needed to manage disputes in a constructive manner, according to a report by Chinese state television.
He also told the US president that he hoped the US would cautiously handle matters relating to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang, and other issues about China's territorial integrity.
Biden used his first three weeks in office making calls to other national leaders in the Indo-Pacific region. His team has made it clear that he would adopt a very different approach as compared to his predecessor, Donald Trump.
tg/sms (AP, Reuters)